This blog is a collection of stories of time spent living and working in Kosovo for the United Nations and the changes I saw between 2001 and 2013. The information presented is personal opinion or links to news articles on Kosovo and its people.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Romanian Police Found Responsible for Deaths of Protestors

An investigation into the deaths of two Albanian protestors on 10 February has released interim findings. The investigation found that the Romanian Police were responsible for the deaths of two protestors and the serious wounding of two others but concluded that there was insufficient evidence to identify the officers that fired the bullets. The bullets were a type exclusively used by the Romanian officers and had an expiration date of 1994. The UN in New York is looking into why expired ammunition but police commissioner Richard Monk has stated that the UN would "expect that that units coming here would adhere to the manufacturer's rules" and that is not within the UN's capacity to issue regulation on the age of bullets.
The shootings were deemed "unwarranted and unjustified". The UN-appointed prosecutor, Robert Dean, has stated that "the acts of one, two, or three in firing rubber bullets improperly or in a criminal manner, which I think happened, cannot necessarily be imputed to all others" and urged the UN and the Romanian government to consider compensation for the families of the victims.

Yesterday afternoon, around 20 Vetevendosje supporters spray-painted two UNMIK vehicles downtown. I think there was enough notification of the protest for people to avoid the area and prevent the vandalism of the vehicles. In Prizren, another two vehicles were spray-painted with the word "Vrases" (Murderer/Killer).

About Me

I have been living and working in Kosovo since 2001. My blog is a mixture of personal reflections on what it is like to live here (from an outsider’s point of view) and political developments. Information is from international news agencies or personal opinion and does not reflect the policies of the United Nations.